Russia has not abandoned former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during challenging times. This was stated by Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna.
"Bashar al-Assad and his family are in Moscow. Russia does not betray its friends in difficult situations," Ulyanov wrote on his Telegram channel. He emphasized that this is what distinguishes Russia from the United States.
Earlier, a Kremlin source told TASS that Assad and his family were granted asylum in Russia on humanitarian grounds.
On November 27, members of opposition armed groups launched a large-scale offensive against government forces in Syria's Aleppo and Idlib provinces. By the evening of December 7, Assad's opponents had captured several major cities, including Aleppo, Deir ez-Zor, Deraa, Hama, and Homs. On the morning of December 8, they entered Damascus, prompting government forces to withdraw from the capital. Assad stepped down and left the country following intra-Syrian negotiations.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on TASS materials